The (Updated) SLAM Fresh 25 — 2009
A year will go by before you know it, so check out SLAM’s Fresh 25 for 2009 and act like you already knew when these current high school juniors take center stage.
by Aggrey Sam
I’m not the guy who’s scouting kids before they get to high school. Unless they’re really good, I’m not even paying attention to freshmen. By a kid’s sophomore year, however–if they can play–they’re at least on my radar. After a summer of watching kids from across the nation hoop and discussing players from outside my region with trusted sources, this is who I’m rocking with. Of course, rankings can change like the weather. Is your favorite prospect hot or cold?
The Aggrey Sam Fresh 25 - 2009
| Rank | Name | Ht | Pos | Last | School | Why? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lance Stephenson | 6-5 | SG/PG | 1 | Lincoln (NY) | Stephenson can do everything his Lincoln predecessors Steph and Bassy could--and he's bigger, if not better. |
| 2 | DeMarcus Cousins | 6-10 | PF/C | 3 | LeFlore (AL) | While his ballhandling and shooting range are intriguing, Cousins is an absolute beast around the hoop, where he owns the boards, is a presence on D and can score whenever he wants in the post. |
| 3 | Renardo Sidney | 6-10 | PF/SF | 2 | Fairfax (CA) | Almost unfairly talented, Sidney is a 2008 version of Derrick Coleman: he can shoot, pass and handle like a guard, but has the bulk, athleticism and footwork to dominate the paint and boards. |
| 4 | Xavier Henry | 6-6 | SG/SF | 6 | Putnam City (OK) | The Kobe comparisons are a bit premature, but the smooth wing's polished skills, hops and pure stroke have a similar impact on the prep level. |
| 5 | Derrick Favors | 6-9 | PF/C | 5 | South Atlanta (GA) | Favors is a traditional big man with fundamentals, top-flight athleticism and a great motor, rules the paint like no other post player in the class. |
| 6 | Kenny Boynton | 6-2 | SG/PG | 4 | American Heritage (FL) | A lightning-quick scorer with a high basketball IQ, Boynton is equally adept at putting defenders on skates as he is making their faces wet from way out. |
| 7 | Jordan Hamilton | 6-7 | SF | 10 | Dominguez (CA) | A deadeye shooter with great size and hops, the L.A. product is versatile enough to mix it up in the lane and push the point on occasion. |
| 8 | Dominic Cheek | 6-6 | SG/SF | 8 | St. Anthony (NJ) | Bob Hurley Sr. touts this rail-thin wing as potentially one of the best ever out of Jersey City--and after watching him slice up defenses off the dribble and rain in treys, it's hard to disagree. |
| 9 | Dexter Strickland | 6-3 | PG/SG | 7 | St. Patrick's (NJ) | The next superstar out of St. Pat's is incredibly smooth, polished versatile and unselfish--and it doesn't hurt that he's a freak athlete with a tremendous stroke. |
| 10 | Alex Oriakhi | 6-9 | PF/C | 14 | Tilton (NH) | A very early commit to Jim Calhoun's Huskies, Oriakhi is a true post player who finishes strong, owns the glass and either swats or alters every shot on defense. |
| 11 | Karron Johnson | 6-8 | PF/SF | 12 | Mt. Zion (NC) | A monster athlete whose future could be on the wing, Johnson is a Windex man who takes no prisoners on the inside--and will hammer on anybody foolish enough to jump with him. |
| 12 | Leslie McDonald | 6-4 | SG/PG | 11 | Briarcrest (TN) | An incredibly well-rounded guard, McDonald can do a little of everything--play the point, knock down jumpers and D up. |
| 13 | Maalik Wayns | 6-1 | PG | 16 | Roman Catholic (PA) | Kyle Lowry's protege, a Villanova commit, is a true point guard in the Philly tradition: hard-nosed, hard to contain off the dribble, a clutch shot-maker and defensive minded. |
| 14 | Terrell Vinson | 6-6 | SF/PF | 15 | Montrose Christian (MD) | Too strong for wings, too skilled for big men, Vinson is a mature player who produces every time out. |
| 15 | Clarence Trent | 6-7 | SF/PF | NR | Findlay (NV) | A high-flying athlete who excels in transition, the Washington state native blends wing skills and 3-point range with ruggedness on the interior. |
| 16 | Isaiah Armwood | 6-8 | PF/SF | 19 | Montrose Christian (MD) | "Upside" is the word most frequently associated with the long and athletic Armwood, however, his developing inside-out game and mean streak make him pretty effective right now. |
| 17 | John Wall | 6-3 | PG/SG | 18 | Word of God (NC) | A speed demon who can run the show and get buckets against the best of them, Wall's athleticism has ACC schools salivating already. |
| 18 | Quincy Acy | 6-8 | PF | 17 | Horn (TX) | The raw, high-energy big man is hungry on the boards, intimidates on D and is a lock to throw down at least one rim-rocking bang every time he steps on the floor. |
| 19 | Abdul Gaddy | 6-3 | PG | NR | Bellarmine (WA) | The recent Arizona commit is a polished true point who makes his teammates better, knocks down outside shots and uses his size to get to the cup. |
| 20 | Mason Plumlee | 6-10 | SF/PF | 20 | Christ School (NC) | A good shooter from 15 feet and out, skilled with the ball and surprisingly tough on the interior, Plumlee's best days are ahead of him. |
| 21 | Gregory Echenique | 6-10 | C | 21 | St. Benedict's (NJ) | A massive post presence with improving skills, the Venezuela native is an enforcer who finishes well around the hoop. |
| 22 | Shawn Williams | 6-6 | SF | NR | Duncanville (TX) | Once known as only a shooter, the Dallas-area native has starting to round out his game with more toughness, defensive effort, rebounding ability, post moves and finishing skills. |
| 23 | John Henson | 6-9 | PF | 22 | Round Rock (TX) | Henson still needs to add weight to his skinny frame, but his J, length and willingness to battle on the inside bodes well for the future. |
| 24 | Christian Watford | 6-8 | SF/PF | NR | Clay-Chalkville (AL) | Watford's size on the wing, lean frame, swoops to the hoop and finishing ability are somewhat McGradyesque. |
| 25 | Michael Snaer | 6-5 | SG | NR | Rancho Verde (CA) | A solidly-built athlete who excels in transition and can also D up, Snaer is an absolute sniper from deep. |
25 Responses to “The (Updated) SLAM Fresh 25 — 2009”
Sep.3 at 3:49 pm
Ekam says:
where are the canadians?
Sep.3 at 9:50 pm
Arek says:
Sidney should be #1, dude is unstopable and he can play all 5 positions. and you guys should watch out for htis kid named Darius Morris, he played on belmont shore and man that kid broke soo many ankles, he made this one defender fall so bad, it wasnt just a fall either he slid atleast 5-6 feet. and Clarence Trent is a crowd pleaser, that boy can JUMP also watchout for quincy acy, when hes in his zone hes unstopable.
Sep.4 at 2:05 pm
Ben Osborne says:
Sidney’s talent is off the charts, but in my opinion dude needs to stay in the paint a little more.
Sep.4 at 9:40 pm
a. sam says:
Arek: Sidney has all the talent in the world, but he doesn’t play hard enough to deserve that top spot. Also, what Ben said. I know about Darius Morris; he does have an excellent handle.
Sep.5 at 2:41 pm
Kihwan says:
Sidney needs to stay in the paint a lot more. Kid’s crazy talented but doesn’t like to mix it up for a big guy.
Sep.8 at 7:36 pm
Domo says:
Have U ever gotten the chance to see Jamil Wilson?
Sep.10 at 4:04 pm
a. sam says:
Domo, I’ve never seen Jamil in person, which is why I haven’t ranked him. I don’t think it’s fair for me to rank a kid I haven’t seen live, unless I’ve seen enough tape of him against good comp to judge him fairly. Unlike a lot of other people, I freely admit I haven’t seen every single kid in the country, just a lot of them. I have heard a lot of good things about him and would like to see him soon.
Sep.16 at 5:03 am
Domo says:
I FEEL U..
Sep.19 at 11:58 pm
t-bar says:
any canadians worth mentioning this class?
Sep.20 at 4:21 pm
Daniel says:
its all about the trio from Montrose Christian. (Armwood, Vinson and Spurlock) Those three class of 09ers are off the hook! Possibility of Kendell marshall transfering there also
Sep.23 at 4:56 pm
andre collins says:
Im the head coach of advanced technology highschool in detroit michigan and Gabriel Green is one of the most voer looked players for the 2009 class. He is 6 foot junior this year and he has a bright future in basketball if he keeps his head on right. He has invited to play on the michigan state team to play over seas two years in a row his freshman year and his sophmore year. He has the potential to go to division 1 school. he has already recieved letters from tennesee state university, university of dertoit mercy, and a few more schools. He just moved to anniston alabama and i promised him i would get him a lot more notice since he moved to a smaller town. so please contact me to find out more information and for tapes of his game he is and should be put on a top 25 list for the class of 2009.
sincerly coach Andre Collins
Sep.24 at 1:28 pm
a. sam says:
t-bar, I’ll ask my man Ro Russell about any 09 Canadians. Daniel, I love that Montrose trio, too. Vinson and Armwood get the love, but Spurlock is very underrated. I don’t think Kendall is going anywhere anytime soon, except UNC in 2010. Andre, I’m gonna ask my Detroit source about Gabriel for you. Is he in the same league as De’Shonte Riley? He’s not on my list, but he’s definitely one of Motown’s finest in 09.
Sep.24 at 2:50 pm
t-bar says:
thanks sam i appreciate that.
sidney sounds to me a little like a more talented version of derrick caracter without the issues. he could be really special in the league
Sep.27 at 9:41 am
jose says:
the only 2 true opponents here is keeny B. and Lance….
Oct.9 at 11:52 am
Unknown to Man says:
yall should also look out for a couple of kids in the class of 2011 out of C.H. Flowers High School in MD. preferably speaking of the following: Jalen Fuller PG, Desmond Stanback PG, Alex Lucas SF, and Denzel Stanback PF.
these kids are the FUTURE!!!!!!!!!!
Oct.10 at 11:19 pm
Rob says:
What’s up my fellow b-ballers I’m new here but I figure i’d go to the source to answer my question. I need an subsciption to PUNKS mag bad!!! now that i live in P.A. I haven’t been able to find any Punks mag. Can somebody, any body HELP!!!!!!!!!!!
Oct.11 at 8:45 pm
YAY AREA'S FINEST says:
OF COURSE I GOTTA DO MY JOB AND REMIND YOU OF SOME OF THE FINEST OUT OF NORTHERN CALI: REEVES NELSON (MODESTO CHRISTIAN)- HE SHOULD BE ON ANYONE’S TOP 25 LIST… CHRIS BREW (ST. MARYS)… JARED CUNNINGHAM (SAN LEANDRO).. XAVIER THAMES (PLEASANT GROVE)… CHASE TAPLEY (SACRAMENTO).. TIM HARRIS (VALLEY CHRISTIAN SAN JOSE)… JERRY BROWN (SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL).. JUST TA NAME A FEW OF THE TOP PLAYERS WHO HAVE RECIEVED SOME NATIONAL EXPOSURE
Oct.15 at 11:33 pm
a. sam says:
Unknown, I’ll keep an eye out for the kids from Flowers. Rob, PUNKS will be out next month, I believe. I’m currently in PA too and I’m sure you’ll be able to find it a lot of places. YAY, Reeves was actually on my initial top 25, but since he was hurt for a lot of the summer, I took him off for some other kids who earned their reps on the circuit. I’ll be watching for him this season and next year. I hope you realize I’m the same guy who put Modesto in our top 50 countdown. I want no problems with the Bay! I’ve heard of the rest of the kids you named, except Tim Harris. Saw Jerry Brown in August. I liked his game, approach and attitude. Check out my adidas Nations post for my thoughts about him.
Oct.16 at 2:25 am
YAY AREA'S FINEST says:
ok ok i can dig it.. tim harris is a little under the radar but dude has a grown game and a d1 2-guards body at 6′4.. he’s still got a couple years to make sme more noise tho
Oct.18 at 3:46 pm
Ben hogan says:
Derrick Favors is the best
Oct.30 at 12:19 am
glen says:
what about that peyton siva kid.. he blew up at the arizona cactus classic…and played down in ohilly and played good.
Nov.2 at 7:43 am
Vince Stemmer says:
look at tyree james and davon cody at Hunterdon Central in New Jersey they are the best they bring the game to another level
Nov.9 at 1:51 am
Ro Russell says:
Agri, Junior Cadougan should definitely be considered for top 25 ranking. He is ripping it down at Christian Life Academy in Houston, Texas. he has lost a lot of weight and is dunking again. That with his passing, strength, quickness and creating skills, he is a top 25 player in 2009.
Nov.14 at 6:08 pm
Coach Johnson says:
Everbody watch out for 5′5 point guard Brandon Flythe He currently goes to suitland high school he is a pass first shoot second type of player he gets his teammates going
Nov.14 at 6:14 pm
Coach Washington says:
Everyone watchout for 5′3 PG Andre Stocks
He goes 2 Charles Herbert Flowers High School
He makes everyone on the court better and can crate his own shot. Watch out for him in the class of 2011
and dont be surpised if u see him on tv one day